Monday, November 21, 2011
Golf City in the making
By Rosalynn Poh, City and Country of The Edge
Mines Resort City founder Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew has earned a reputation as a developer who transforms the ordinary, even the unwanted, into something highly coveted. This can be seen in his Country Heights Kajang development which was launched during the recession in the 1980s. He also turned what was once the world's biggest open cast tin mine into The Mines Resort City, where an impressive list of Malaysia's business and political elite now operate and reside.
Lee, the deputy chairman of Country Heights Holdings Bhd (CHHB), has now taken on another massive challenge — building a world-class golf course-cum-residential development akin to the world's largest golf course complex, namely, China's famed 216-hole Mission Hills Golf Club. Making his task even more difficult is Lee's decision to locate his golf course project, called Mines Golf City, in the vicinity of Bukit Beruntung, a languishing township in Selangor which seems to have been bypassed by development.
Lee, who earlier this year relinquished his position as CHHB group managing director to focus on his personal ventures, showed he was up to the task when he recruited women's golf legend and former world No 1 Annika Sorenstam to design the first 18 holes of the Mines Golf City. Lee owns a 48.1% stake in CHHB.
The ambitious Mines Golf City will feature a 63-hole golf course, the country's largest, along with residential development. And if the developer succeeds in obtaining approval to manage the existing 36-hole Bukit Beruntung Golf & Country Club, adjacent to the Mines Golf City site and owned by the Selangor state government, that would create an unprecedented 99-hole golf course in the country and give credence to Lee's claim of making his golf development Southeast Asia's Mission Hills.
Mines Golf City, which comes under Mines Golf City Sdn Bhd, is a 70:30 joint venture between Lee's privately owned company and CHHB. Bungalow lots, from half an acre to two acres and tagged at between RM50 and RM80 psf, will be available for sale. With a gross development value of RM3 billion, the project spans a 2,100-acre freehold tract formerly known as Rasa Estate. The acquisition of the land was completed in January this year.
Touch of golfing great
It was an early Saturday morning and this writer found herself standing on a small, cleared elevated spot on the former Rasa Estate near Bukit Beruntung. Along with several other journalists, we watched a helicopter circle around the estate with Lee himself and Sorenstam on board, before finally landing on a temporary helipad. The group was then taken on a tour of part of the future golf course.
Lee believes Sorenstam is the right choice as, with her commitment and character, "she fits into our development". He first approached her during a golf tournament in Australia last year. "It is an honour for me that Annika has agreed to design her first golf course in Malaysia in Mines Golf City. With this 63-hole golf course development, the world will take a better look at our country," says Lee, adding that while there has been an increase in new golfers, there have not been many new golf courses in Malaysia.
Sorenstam, who walked away from competitive golfing after the Ladies European Tour in Dubai last weekend (Dec 11-14), says she's proud to be involved in such a world-class development. "It is very important to preserve the environment, spirit and traditions of the game. The creation of a variety of tees with generous landing area gives each individual an opportunity to be challenged based on their level of skill, while smaller greens and challenges will make it a true and fair test to remember." She says her immediate plans after retirement would be to focus on her business and her wedding next month.
On her impression of the site, Sorenstam says it is a beautiful and peaceful place with natural terrain: "I am thrilled with what I have seen today... it is like an open book and I can then start drawing."
Initial plans for the Mines Golf City, which is expected to be completed within six years, includes a golfing academy, medical tourism, a health clinic and spa, international school, an equestrian academy, a diving academy, a country retail mall and a world-class entertainment centre.
Lee says there are three phases planned for the development, with 400 bungalow lots available in the first phase. The lots, some 20,000 sq ft in size, will be sold for around RM50 to RM80 psf. Buyers are encouraged to build single-storey and 1½-storey bungalows and homeowners will be encouraged to allocate about 5% of their land to set up their own organic farms for a healthier and environment-friendly lifestyle.
Mines Resort City founder Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew has earned a reputation as a developer who transforms the ordinary, even the unwanted, into something highly coveted. This can be seen in his Country Heights Kajang development which was launched during the recession in the 1980s. He also turned what was once the world's biggest open cast tin mine into The Mines Resort City, where an impressive list of Malaysia's business and political elite now operate and reside.
Lee, the deputy chairman of Country Heights Holdings Bhd (CHHB), has now taken on another massive challenge — building a world-class golf course-cum-residential development akin to the world's largest golf course complex, namely, China's famed 216-hole Mission Hills Golf Club. Making his task even more difficult is Lee's decision to locate his golf course project, called Mines Golf City, in the vicinity of Bukit Beruntung, a languishing township in Selangor which seems to have been bypassed by development.
Lee, who earlier this year relinquished his position as CHHB group managing director to focus on his personal ventures, showed he was up to the task when he recruited women's golf legend and former world No 1 Annika Sorenstam to design the first 18 holes of the Mines Golf City. Lee owns a 48.1% stake in CHHB.
The ambitious Mines Golf City will feature a 63-hole golf course, the country's largest, along with residential development. And if the developer succeeds in obtaining approval to manage the existing 36-hole Bukit Beruntung Golf & Country Club, adjacent to the Mines Golf City site and owned by the Selangor state government, that would create an unprecedented 99-hole golf course in the country and give credence to Lee's claim of making his golf development Southeast Asia's Mission Hills.
Mines Golf City, which comes under Mines Golf City Sdn Bhd, is a 70:30 joint venture between Lee's privately owned company and CHHB. Bungalow lots, from half an acre to two acres and tagged at between RM50 and RM80 psf, will be available for sale. With a gross development value of RM3 billion, the project spans a 2,100-acre freehold tract formerly known as Rasa Estate. The acquisition of the land was completed in January this year.
Touch of golfing great
It was an early Saturday morning and this writer found herself standing on a small, cleared elevated spot on the former Rasa Estate near Bukit Beruntung. Along with several other journalists, we watched a helicopter circle around the estate with Lee himself and Sorenstam on board, before finally landing on a temporary helipad. The group was then taken on a tour of part of the future golf course.
Lee believes Sorenstam is the right choice as, with her commitment and character, "she fits into our development". He first approached her during a golf tournament in Australia last year. "It is an honour for me that Annika has agreed to design her first golf course in Malaysia in Mines Golf City. With this 63-hole golf course development, the world will take a better look at our country," says Lee, adding that while there has been an increase in new golfers, there have not been many new golf courses in Malaysia.
Sorenstam, who walked away from competitive golfing after the Ladies European Tour in Dubai last weekend (Dec 11-14), says she's proud to be involved in such a world-class development. "It is very important to preserve the environment, spirit and traditions of the game. The creation of a variety of tees with generous landing area gives each individual an opportunity to be challenged based on their level of skill, while smaller greens and challenges will make it a true and fair test to remember." She says her immediate plans after retirement would be to focus on her business and her wedding next month.
On her impression of the site, Sorenstam says it is a beautiful and peaceful place with natural terrain: "I am thrilled with what I have seen today... it is like an open book and I can then start drawing."
Initial plans for the Mines Golf City, which is expected to be completed within six years, includes a golfing academy, medical tourism, a health clinic and spa, international school, an equestrian academy, a diving academy, a country retail mall and a world-class entertainment centre.
Lee says there are three phases planned for the development, with 400 bungalow lots available in the first phase. The lots, some 20,000 sq ft in size, will be sold for around RM50 to RM80 psf. Buyers are encouraged to build single-storey and 1½-storey bungalows and homeowners will be encouraged to allocate about 5% of their land to set up their own organic farms for a healthier and environment-friendly lifestyle.
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